To play a conventional slot machine, a player deposits money in the form of coins, gaming tokens, paper currency or tickets either into a coin slot or bill acceptor, respectively. The coins and gaming tokens are collected in a reservoir inside the gaming machine while the paper currency or ticket is collected in the bill acceptor inside the gaming machine. If the coins, gaming tokens, paper currency or ticket are validated as authentic, the player accrues the appropriate number of playing credits on a credit meter. For example, a twenty-five cent gaming machine will accrue four credits for each dollar deposited into the gaming machine.
After accruing credits on the credit meter, the player determines how many credits to wager on the next spin of the slot reels. The player causes the gaming device to spin the reels by pressing the spin button or by pulling a handle. When the reels stop spinning, symbols are displayed on the reels at symbol positions. Outcomes or awards, if any, are provided to a player based on designated symbol combinations indicated in a paytable or award summary table.
More specifically, many conventional slot machines include a symbol matrix which includes symbols displayed on three or more of the reels (also called “columns” or “reel columns”) that are adjacent to each other. The resulting matrix of symbols typically ranges from three columns by three rows with nine total symbols, to five columns by three rows with fifteen total symbols. Each position in the symbol matrix is referenced by column, from left to right, and row, from the top to bottom (“symbol positions”). For example: symbol position 1/2 is located in column 1 and row 2. Players collect credits for predetermined winning symbol combinations on the reels that appear in specific or designated symbol positions. The combination of these designated symbol positions are generally referred to as “paylines.”
Conventional gaming devices employ different symbols to form different winning symbol combinations in a game. Conventional gaming devices also employ different symbols which perform a function in a game. One such symbol is a wild symbol or wild card. Wild symbols provide a player with an additional opportunity to obtain winning combinations. Wild symbols, wild cards and wild indicators in gaming devices also provide additional excitement and entertainment for players.
In a slot machine having reels, a wild symbol can enable the matching of symbols along a payline to achieve a combination. For example, in a three reel slot machine, the symbols along a payline on the first, second and third reels may be, respectively, a heart, a heart and a wild symbol. If, in the gaming scheme, the gaming device awards a player for a three heart combination, the wild symbol substitutes for or functions as a heart and provides the player with that combination.
Known slot machine games include wild symbols placed on the reel strips, with each wild symbol substituting for all line pay symbols.
Known slot machine games include wild symbols placed on the reel strips, with each wild symbol substituting for some line pay symbols.
Known slot machine games include wild symbols placed on the reel strips, with each wild symbol expanding to all positions on the slot reel and substituting for all line pay symbols.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,977 discloses a slot machine game including wild symbols placed on the reel strips, where a wild symbol substitutes for all symbols and, upon a trigger event, moves to each position in the symbol matrix.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,517,432 discloses a slot machine game including wild symbols placed on the reel strips, where each wild symbol substitutes for all symbols and, upon a trigger event, moves to a random number of positions in the symbol matrix.
These conventional slot machines generate wild symbols based on fixed rules where all of the symbols are generated and displayed in a symbol matrix by the slot machine. These slot machines do not provide a random generation of wild symbols based on one or more decisions by a player.
There is a need for new gaming devices including new gaming machines which increase a player's chances for obtaining winning symbol combinations in a game.